happyly approved

Buffalo Creek Preserve

7911 Malibu Road, Mount Pleasant, NC, USA

Dawn to dusk

$

hikes

Beautiful prairie with a mix of forest and farmland will leave you wanting to hit this trail over and over again. 
 

Located in Mount Pleasant, Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail is an easy out and back trail with various scenery. You first walk through a restored piedmont oak savannah. The trail is a mixture of sand and rock. We discovered many deer prints through this section. Next you will walk along farm fields where a local farm is growing hay and grains. Then the trail comes into a young forest and follows along the Adams Creek. While walking along Adams Creek, you will come to a suspension bridge to cross the creek. This was a highlight for the kids and a good turn around point for the younger children. From the bridge, the end of the trail is around a half a mile. The trail is about a four mile round trip. 

 

Do note that there are no restrooms at the trailhead. The parking lot can hold around 10 cars, and you cannot park along the main road. The trail also is very open in many parts. It will get very hot in the summer, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and bug spray. I would recommend doing this hike during cooler days or getting out early morning or late afternoon. We visited after three days of rain, and the trail was wet in some areas but doable to hike on. Be prepared to bring extra shoes and clothes. I encouraged walking in the mud on the way back to the car so the kids didn't have wet shoes the whole hike. 

 

The Buffalo Creek Preserve is 393 acres that protects several streams, ponds and wetlands. The land consists mostly of agricultural fields and natural forest. Catawba Land Conservancy is working hard to restore the piedmont oak savannah at the beginning of the hike. This habitat type is home to many nesting birds and prairie animals that are on the decline in the piedmont area. Buffalo Creek Preserve is also part of the Butterfly Highway, which is a statewide initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats. This trail is also part of the Carolina Thread Trail. 

 

You can follow the Carolina Thread Trail on Facebook and Instagram @threadtrail. You can follow Catawba Land Conservancy on Facebook and Instagram @catawbalands. 

Features

Good for All Ages Hiking Pond Scenic Walk
Thoughtfully captured by:
Allison Towner
A Charlotte, NC transplant, Allison was born and raised in Texas. She has a degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University. Allison loves to scuba dive, travel, garden, and be active. She has a lovely husband and two smart, playful kids, a girl and boy. A love for nature and the outdoors has always been a passion of hers and now she gets to continue that with her family. They love to explore new places and go on family camping and hiking trips. Allison and her family live on a 12-acre homestead with ducks, chickens, and a garden. Outside life is important to their family and wants to share that passion with others.
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